And in talking with Sportsnet Radio Fan 590 in Toronto soon after, Bryan needlessly tried to make everything all right. As if dropping from three to five in a terrible draft matters in the slightest.

From Sports Radio Interviews.

On the idea that being at pick number five might be better than being at pick number three:

"I absolutely concur. You've kinda hit the nail on the head. After the top two picks and I might've said this last night talking to a few people, I think there is a very clear two picks and then there are several players that we like. If you were to ask me who number three was I'm not sure I would have the answer for you …

The benefit is, if I can look at this with a silver lining, there's going to be a little less of a cap charge for the fifth pick as opposed to the third pick. It's funny a lot of people kept saying you can't pick a guy at three that's too high. Well at five it becomes a little more palatable if you know what I mean."

Wait, what?

No, I don't know what you mean. You mean that in some ways it's better to have the fifth pick than the third because of the lessened pressure -- not on the player, mind you, but on the GM -- and legitimacy that would be placed on a fifth pick as opposed to a third pick? Mike Miller was the fifth pick in the previous Worst Draft Ever, do you think that's finally gotten to him as he fires up brick after brick in Miami this year? Is that why James Dolan won't fully hire Magic GM John Gabriel as Donnie Walsh's clear No. 2 in New York, because nobody can get past the idea that Mike Miller (crazy!) was the fifth pick in an NBA draft?

I follow the NBA for a living, and I can probably tell you maybe three out of the last 10 fifth picks in recent drafts. I can tell you plenty of bad GM moves off the top of my head. Or, worse, bad GM excuses, or ways they try to put something over on fans or media. And the cap charge? As Tas Melas noted the other day, the difference in salary between the third pick and fifth pick this year was 600,000 dollars. Hardly a game-changer even if you're under the cap in the offseason, something Toronto might be this summer (depending on where the cap falls).

Just stop. You're fine. You are allowed to answer with a "nah, not really" every so often while still being optimistic at the same time.

there is a $652,000 difference in price tag ($3,552,100 vs $2,900,100), which matters to a team that is under the cap. the pressure comment is bogus, but the financial relief when you honestly have no big talent drop off between #3 and #5 is not a bad point to make.

jeffb

05-21-2011 09:05 AM

Kind of pointless to point shit like this out. I do think BC bringing up the lesser cap hit with pick#5 vs #3 is a little ridiculous since the difference is so small. But I agree with most of what he's saying about droping to 5th when it comes to the talent.

LX

05-21-2011 10:20 AM

The comment about the fifth pick being more palatable was just his way of saying it's easier to sell than various picks at 3. And I'd like to say fuck you Bryan, just make your pick as though your job is building a team according to some kind of a plan, and not selling every last thing you do. Even if ultimately you need to sell us on shit to keep your job under new ownership, keep it to yourself - it would actually be the more effective way of selling yourself as an actual GM as opposed to making yourself out to be the equivalent of some worn out bastard talking up shit mattresses at sleep country.

Superjudge

05-21-2011 10:58 AM

GM of the Washington Capitals summed it up beautifully i that Caps-Penguins HBO show earlier this year....

"there are a lot of media guys that have a lot to say, but truth is, if any of them knew what they were talking about they would be here, not there"

Colangelo says what he should say.

Carlito

05-21-2011 11:05 AM

BC is a good salesman ... that's part of being a GM. Looking for the silver linning ..

JoeyJoJo Shabbadu

05-21-2011 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LX
(Post 541393)

The comment about the fifth pick being more palatable was just his way of saying it's easier to sell than various picks at 3. And I'd like to say fuck you Bryan, just make your pick as though your job is building a team according to some kind of a plan, and not selling every last thing you do. Even if ultimately you need to sell us on shit to keep your job under new ownership, keep it to yourself - it would actually be the more effective way of selling yourself as an actual GM as opposed to making yourself out to be the equivalent of some worn out bastard talking up shit mattresses at sleep country.

Maybe I'm confused... but I think Dwyer is not smelling what BC is cooking. He's talking about cap and cost and the 3rd pick not being worth the money for 3rd in a horrid draft. It doesn't sound like it had anything at all to do with picking a 5 being an easier sell to anyone etc.

LX

05-21-2011 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeyJoJo Shabbadu
(Post 541407)

Maybe I'm confused... but I think Dwyer is not smelling what BC is cooking. He's talking about cap and cost and the 3rd pick not being worth the money for 3rd in a horrid draft. It doesn't sound like it had anything at all to do with picking a 5 being an easier sell to anyone etc.

Colangelo was making two separate points as far as I could tell. Because making one useless point would be underperforming.

jeffb

05-21-2011 11:18 AM

Slow off days this time of year yield shit stuff life this.

LX

05-21-2011 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffb
(Post 541409)

Slow off days this time of year yield shit stuff life this.

So you agree that the fifth pick is better than the third pick? It's not really an off day - they are looking at potential picks right now, and our guy is making an argument that he'd rather have the 5th pick than the 3rd. That is at least a little fucked up is it not (a bit like your sentence structure I might add)?

bjjs

05-21-2011 12:07 PM

Nobody looks good trying to validate a 5th pick over a 3rd pick. Why is B.C. always selling?

pzabby

05-21-2011 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LX
(Post 541416)

So you agree that the fifth pick is better than the third pick? It's not really an off day - they are looking at potential picks right now, and our guy is making an argument that he'd rather have the 5th pick than the 3rd. That is at least a little fucked up is it not (a bit like your sentence structure I might add)?

he isn't saying the fifth pick is better than the third. he is just trying to find some benefits to keep the fans happy. of course he would rather have the third pick, but he's being optimistic. this is a glass half-full half-empty situation and I for one think he did well.

jeffb

05-21-2011 12:27 PM

He's saying there isn't a lot of difference talent wise between #3 and #5 which imo is true, he's saying they save a bit of money which they do. He was asked these questions and answered them, trying to stay positive. Typical of any GM, who cares? Really, this is just nit picky to me.

bjjs

05-21-2011 12:40 PM

Saying their isn't a lot of difference between the third and fifth pick is a lie.

Even if their are two players in a class of their own and then everyone else, the third pick would give you the first selection over everybody else which is very advantageous. He could pick the best of the rest that would be the best fit for his team. Now their is a chance that his first two choices might be taken.

It's not a huge deal but it does suck. Their is no need to sell it otherwise. He moved down in the lottery. He lost a game he had no control over, the end.

poetics

05-21-2011 01:28 PM

folks, GM's, especially savvy ones link BC, say things purposefully to manage calculated risks. What's wrong with him making the 5th pick sound just as good as the third..especially in this yr's draft?? Isn't that his job? Or should he bitch and moan and get fined while not focusing on the business task at hand, which is play the card that you've been dealt to the best of your ability. The reason why he's the GM is because he can most likely do a better job than any of us on here...just a hunch!

DocHoliday99

05-21-2011 01:28 PM

After the first 2 picks I would think Knight/Enes make a good case to be 3 and 4 and then the parity / projects really starts. There are probably 5-6 guys that could go 5. Reading what BC stated smells to me BC is downplaying all the players after 2 as on par with each other - the start of draft rhetoric and maneuvering (as BC might be interested in Knight or Enes).

Until the draft is over I'm sure every GM will have lied or mislead the media about someone in the draft for their own benefit.

Blaze

05-21-2011 01:34 PM

Guys he's just trying to be optimistic about a bad situation. If you think he would actually rather have the 5th over the 3rd your cracked. I didn't like how was insuating that it was less pressure on him though.

macs

05-21-2011 02:56 PM

I've seen some crazy shit on this site, but poking fun at a guy for answering a question in an optimistic way... this takes the cake. Go out and do something productive, and stop being little bitches.

LX

05-21-2011 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjjs
(Post 541423)

Saying their isn't a lot of difference between the third and fifth pick is a lie.

Even if their are two players in a class of their own and then everyone else, the third pick would give you the first selection over everybody else which is very advantageous. He could pick the best of the rest that would be the best fit for his team. Now their is a chance that his first two choices might be taken.

It's not a huge deal but it does suck. Their is no need to sell it otherwise. He moved down in the lottery. He lost a game he had no control over, the end.

Exactly - it's not about him- it's out of his hands. There is no need to put any spin on it. And what is troubling is that the spin he offers really has nothing to offer anyone but himself. He is perhaps not entirely wrong in thinking that 5 is better than 3 for his own sake in some respects, but he shouldn't be saying it out loud. He got caught in a Homer moment.

LX

05-21-2011 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macs
(Post 541450)

I've seen some crazy shit on this site, but poking fun at a guy for answering a question in an optimistic way... this takes the cake. Go out and do something productive, and stop being little bitches.

You're right. I feel terrible. And now I really wish we had dropped right down to sixth. The odds were just stacked against us. It would have been great though. And all future trades need to bring back players that have been given up on by their former teams. If we can't have guys that fans will expect less from, than sucking is going to be that much harder to take.